Oxidation States

Question	Answer
Oxidation State is an indicator of the degree of oxidation of an atom in a chemical compound	Rule 1: Elements in the elemental state have an oxidation state of zero e.g. Ag=0. Cu=0
Rule 1: A molecule containing only one element has an oxidation state of zero E.g. H2=0, O2=0	Rule 2: For monatomic ions, the oxidation state equals the charge on the ion e.g. Mg(2+)=+2, NH4(+)=+1
Rule 3: For polyatomic species the sum of the oxidation states of all the atoms equals the charge on the ion or molecule e.g. NH3=0, NH4(+)=+1	Rule 4: Oxygen is almost always -2 in compounds
Rule 5: Fluorine is always -1	Rule 6: Hydrogen is almost always +1
Oxidation leads to an increase in oxidation state, while reduction leads to a decrease in oxidation state	Oxidants are species which undergo reduction. Conversely, a species which undergoes oxidation itself is known as a reductant. Reactive metals are strong oxidants, whereas cations of unreactive metals such as potassium are strong reductants

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	Created by sjii.serjin over 11 years ago